Kiwi-family
{Rachael, the Mama of the family}
- Time of past OR future Camino
- walking every day for the rest of my life
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Yes I agree Skyscanner is the way to go. Many USA folks use Kayak too. Book direct with the airline though. Go with a price that feels like value to you. Don’t speculate whether they will go up or down (there are a huge number of variables) and don’t believe the myths about cheaper on a Tuesday or 90 days out! You can search on multiple dates if you have flexibility. Always check connecting times as can be some long layovers!I used this recently. Though I use it to find flights and book direct with the airline. Too many hassles dealing with aggregators if things need to be changed.....
Cheap Flights: Compare & Book Plane Tickets to Everywhere | Skyscanner
Search and compare cheap flights from all major airlines and online travel agents, and book airline tickets to your favourite destinations.www.skyscanner.com.au
Always check connecting times as can be some long layovers!
I got into a habit lately to buy Basic Economy and then buy the 'premium' seat I want.Now that we are older, we are less likely to sign up for an ultra cheap fare as we want a bit more legroom and want to chose our seat. I also can't tolerate flights with long layovers where I may be sleeping on the airport floor.
Yes each journey has an MCT (minimum connecting time), so if it’s say 60 mins then airlines can sell any connection that gives 60 mins or more to connect based on a strong likelihood of making it (not sure what probability is but would guess >90%). But yes it’s brings a lot of stress to to consumer!And some can be quite short (wouldn't even call them layovers). I personally try not to book anything shorter than 1h20min.... dont feel like sprinting from one end of the terminal to another (that is if somehow you dont have to change terminals to boot)
I got into a habit lately to buy Basic Economy and then buy the 'premium' seat I want.
Case to point - just booked my next vacation and the difference between Basic & Main Cabin was about $130 and i STILL had to pay to check in luggage!!!! Yes I could chose the 'standard' economy seat.... but had to upgrade to any other seat category...
chose Basic Economy and when i started tinkering with seats - the standard seat was all of $9.00 one way! The best economy seat (extra legroom - in front of the plane and incl complimentary beverages (wine & beer are part of)) - was a WHOOPING $65 one way!
so - moved up to these good seats and still saved couple of bucks in the process
Can anyone provide any credible explanation - i.e. from knowledgeable sources - to support thisThis will prevent cookies and trackers from slowly upping the prices because "they" know you desire what you are searching for.
The useful experiment would be to immediately check the air fare on another computer and see if the fare is the same. Prices do go up and down. Nobody is arguing that. The question is whether the cookies on one device affect the price, in comparison to another device that has not done repeated searches.Just did another experiment
The reality is that the ‘booking class’ offering your 218 fare is closed out for sales so offering fares in higher booking classes.I, too, just had a tracked fare (Google flights) go from 218 to 360 in 2 days even though the date is 2 months out. I thought perhaps it was with a cookie. Just did another experiment for early November see if the fare for same cities will go up in a couple of days. Would be nice to know they are not manipulating the prices.
So the article suggests that using a VPN would possiblly be helpful in obtaining a cheaper fare. It suggests that one could put in a different location as a point of purchase and possibly obtain a lower fare. As anyone done this?Can anyone provide any credible explanation - i.e. from knowledgeable sources - to support thistheoryurban myth? If not, I wish people would stop spreading the rumour on no evidence.
We have had this debate several times on the forum, most recently in this thread. My personal browsing experience and everything I have read lead me to believe it is not true that browsing cookies cause airfares to go up. For example, this article explains it well:
Forget What You've Heard: Stop Searching Incognito for Flights
You've heard it: Search incognito so airlines don't track your searches. There's just one problem: It's not true. Stop searching incognito for flights.thriftytraveler.com
Download Hopper.I remember a couple of years ago there was discussion about how people track cheap prices for flights, but I can't find any of the threads now. I guess it's possible that the landscape has changed anyway, so.....which companies/platforms/whatever are you using to find inexpensive flights (if there is such a thing) these days? Ideal would be something that works from New Zealand.
But only book directly through the airline!Download Hopper.
Even in the US it's a different reality if you don't live near a major airport. Your NZ$ fares are a lot closer to what I pay in USD to get to Europe.Those of you talking about US$218 fares are in a different reality.
I am with Robo - I use an aggregator site (SkyScanner is one, iwantthatflight is another) to map out my flight options with a strong preference with all flights being with the one carrier/alliances and price being a lesser (but not unimportant) criterion, then book direclty with the carrier .I used this recently. Though I use it to find flights and book direct with the airline. Too many hassles dealing with aggregators if things need to be changed.....
Cheap Flights: Compare & Book Plane Tickets to Everywhere | Skyscanner
Search and compare cheap flights from all major airlines and online travel agents, and book airline tickets to your favourite destinations.www.skyscanner.com.au
Check out the cost of the fastest journey time from Nelson, NZ (a typical medium sized NZ town, reasonably close to the NZ capital).Even in the US it's a different reality if you don't live near a major airport. Your NZ$ fares are a lot closer to what I pay in USD to get to Europe.
I am surprised at that average US income. What is your source? Of course there is a lot more to consider in any such comparison.the average income in NZ is NZD56K vs USA of USD63K.
but need consider the exchange rate - probably around 1 NZD to 0.57 USD? (effective rate even worse when the banks take their bit...)the average income in NZ is NZD56K vs USA of USD63K.
I am with Robo - I use an aggregator site (SkyScanner is one, iwantthatflight is another) to map out my flight options with a strong preference with all flights being with the one carrier/alliances and price being a lesser (but not unimportant) criterion, then book direclty with the carrier .
I far prefer to deal directly with an airline than try and sort out any issues with a third party (that probably has to get back to the carrier anyway to deal with anything that has cropped up unexpectedly) and who has marginal interest in any problems that I may have now that they have my money...
OK - I am a pessimist, but the price differential between booking directly with an airline and booking through a reseller site is marginal, especially when compared with the cost (time, money, aggravation) of trying to deal through a third party - especially in another country, with limited phone facilities and when time may be of the essence...
I am in furious agreement...Another point @LesR , is the ease of making changes.
I haven't used an aggregator for a while, but I seem to recall endless back and forth emails.
Or a flat............sorry, can't do that.
At least booking direct with the airline, you can deal with them 'directly.
But.......this is sometimes not easy either, as there can be long wait times on the phone.
Qantas for example is hopeless at the moment. It's almost not worth the effort.
When I rang Iberia with a query though..........great service, no waiting........
Of course there is another way of dealing directly with the airlines, that I tend to use more these days.
The Airline 'App'.
These can make the whole process much easier.
A key factor too, is the ticket fare 'type'. I'm not referring to the Economy, Business etc.
But the fare type and what conditions surround it.
Last time I looked there were something like 14 fare 'types'.
You'll see things like Saver, Super Saver, Discount Economy, Flexi...........
One of the reasons I book directly with the airline is that these fare types are usually clearly stated, along with the various conditions surrounding them. Things like:
Generally the cheaper the fare the tighter the conditions. Which seems fair.......
- Free changes to date of flight.
- Changes will incur a $200 fee.
- No changes allowed etc.
Sorry a bit of a ramble that might be obvious to most.
So it's not always about the cheapest ticket. For a small additional cost, you might for example go from a ticket that cannot be changed, to one that can. Very handy for return flights back from a Camino.....
The useful experiment would be to immediately check the air fare on another computer and see if the fare is the same. Prices do go up and down. Nobody is arguing that. The question is whether the cookies on one device affect the price, in comparison to another device that has not done repeated searches.
I'm not sure about new zealand but I frequently use Skyscanner app to look for fares and also Google flights can come up with some good #s. From the USA it has seemed for awhile the best location cheapest to fly into Europe is Barcelona? Not sure why but what a great city to travel too then you just take the fast train to Madrid and off you go. Hope that helps and buen caminoI remember a couple of years ago there was discussion about how people track cheap prices for flights, but I can't find any of the threads now. I guess it's possible that the landscape has changed anyway, so.....which companies/platforms/whatever are you using to find inexpensive flights (if there is such a thing) these days? Ideal would be something that works from New Zealand.
Yes it is true from personal experience. When my wife and I flew out to India together, then later my daughter joined us, and my wife returned earlier, so 3 separate bookings. I booked my tickets at the lowest price, then when I tried to book my wife's ticket the cheapest price was greyed out and I had to pay mid price. Then when I tried to book my daughters tickets only the expensive tickets were available. So when I was at work (different computer/location) I got the cheapest tickets for my daughter.Can anyone provide any credible explanation - i.e. from knowledgeable sources - to support thistheoryurban myth? If not, I wish people would stop spreading the rumour on no evidence.
We have had this debate several times on the forum, most recently in this thread. My personal browsing experience and everything I have read lead me to believe it is not true that browsing cookies cause airfares to go up. For example, this article explains it well:
Forget What You've Heard: Stop Searching Incognito for Flights
You've heard it: Search incognito so airlines don't track your searches. There's just one problem: It's not true. Stop searching incognito for flights.thriftytraveler.com
I am still curious if there is any thorough investigation that has examined this in a way that eliminates or proves the role of cookies on a personal computer. That is why I keep asking for a credible reference other than personal anecdotes. I simply don't know, and my personal experience demonstrates consistency of the prices. If it is true, I would expect there to be some analyses and more formal reports about it.Yes it is true from personal experience.
Oh, I tried clearing cookies, it didn't make a difference. I had to use another computer at a different location to succeed, perhaps using another IP address made the difference?I am still curious if there is any thorough investigation that has examined this in a way that eliminates or proves the role of cookies on a personal computer. That is why I keep asking for a credible reference other than personal anecdotes. I simply don't know, and my personal experience demonstrates consistency of the prices. If it is true, I would expect there to be some analyses and more formal reports about it.
I have a different IP address (or several) every day.perhaps using another IP address made the difference?
So it's not cookies, not IP address, but I booked the cheaper flight the following day so maybe its activity in a time period.I have a different IP address (or several) every day.
Rome2RioI remember a couple of years ago there was discussion about how people track cheap prices for flights, but I can't find any of the threads now. I guess it's possible that the landscape has changed anyway, so.....which companies/platforms/whatever are you using to find inexpensive flights (if there is such a thing) these days? Ideal would be something that works from New Zealand.
R2R is about finding ways from getting from origin to destination (modes of transport, operators, etc) and should not be used for accurate pricing and timetable information.Rome2Rio
Maybe it is simply that the airline releases more seats at that price. Nothing to do with your individual activity, but it would likely be related to overall supply and demand.So it's not cookies, not IP address, but I booked the cheaper flight the following day so maybe its activity in a time period.
I prefer more than 3 hours in some big airports - like Singapore or Amsterdam - where the distance from gate to gate can be a long way.I personally try not to book anything shorter than 1h20min....
I knew this from reading posts on the Tripadvisor Air Travel forum, which is full of good information from frequent flyers about the ins and outs of air travel.Had an interesting ‘seach’the other day, which I had come across before, but forgotten.
I did a search between two airports in Europe and it threw up a fare of €40. Good deal. I normally travel alone but this time was accompanied so changed the search criteria to 2 people and it threw up 2 fares of €665. Obviously the €40 fare only had 1 seat avail (and I was suprised at the jump from €40 to €665 without other ‘steps’) but what it showed was that in most if not all cases, systems default to the booking class where there is the required number of seats available. So rather than quotes 1 @ €40 and 1 @ €665 it just quoted 2 @ €665… a lot more. I have never seen a travel org quote the former above and don’t think they can but I normally quote on 1 person? Anyone seen it? Probably not?
Expedia have just released an analysis of the best days, times and number of days before travel for 2022, based on their data.I remember a couple of years ago there was discussion about how people track cheap prices for flights, but I can't find any of the threads now. I guess it's possible that the landscape has changed anyway, so.....which companies/platforms/whatever are you using to find inexpensive flights (if there is such a thing) these days? Ideal would be something that works from New Zealand.
I knew this from reading posts on the Tripadvisor Air Travel forum, which is full of good information from frequent flyers about the ins and outs of air travel.
Air Travel Forum - Tripadvisor
Travel forums for World. Discuss World travel with Tripadvisor travelers.www.tripadvisor.com
Thank you! Not sure if you are aware of flyertalk. It’s a bit hardcore but some incredible info. It’s navigations comes across about being all about FFP but it’s not!I knew this from reading posts on the Tripadvisor Air Travel forum, which is full of good information from frequent flyers about the ins and outs of air travel.
Air Travel Forum - Tripadvisor
Travel forums for World. Discuss World travel with Tripadvisor travelers.www.tripadvisor.com
I recently flew from Seattle to Victoria Falls. I had two connections: one in Doha and one in Johannesburg. After landing in Johannesburg, I made my way towards the immigration checkpoint. When I was about 5 feet from it, three adults (who were on my same flight from Doha) came running towards me screaming, "Tight connection! Tight Connection!" To emphasize their desperation, they were waiving their passports above their heads. So, I stepped aside and said, "No problem, my next flight does not start boarding for another 55 minutes." Once their passports were stamped, they sprinted away in a complete frenzy.I prefer more than 3 hours in some big airports - like Singapore or Amsterdam - where the distance from gate to gate can be a long way.
Thanks. Yes, I know about Flyertalk, though I've only had occasion to visit that site a few times. Definitely more hardcore!Thank you! Not sure if you are aware of flyertalk. It’s a bit hardcore but some incredible info. It’s navigations comes across about being all about FFP but it’s not!
AustraliaExpedia have just released an analysis of the best days, times and number of days before travel for 2022, based on their data.
They do various reports for different countries, the USA report can be found here (https://www.expedia.com/stories/2023-flight-hacks/# ) and I saw a Canadian report while Googling. I couldn't find a report from them for Aotearoa New Zealand or this region but the release of their report has prompted various local news sites to produce their own interpretation of the Expedia reports and these local reports can be found here:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/w...es-and-disruption/NPBUDOSXCFCRRSHOZFNIJQ4QY4/
Absolutely ‘got to be at the airport two hours before’ is one of the biggest urban myths in UK. I prefer early, and have friends in the ‘early’ and ‘last minute’ camp.I recently flew from Seattle to Victoria Falls. I had two connections: one in Doha and one in Johannesburg. After landing in Johannesburg, I made my way towards the immigration checkpoint. When I was about 5 feet from it, three adults (who were on my same flight from Doha) came running towards me screaming, "Tight connection! Tight Connection!" To emphasize their desperation, they were waiving their passports above their heads. So, I stepped aside and said, "No problem, my next flight does not start boarding for another 55 minutes." Once their passports were stamped, they sprinted away in a complete frenzy.
After immigration, I continued to walk through the terminal and even took a few minutes stop and grab a bit to eat. I arrived at my gate with 10 minutes to spare before boarding started.
And guess what? Sitting there at my gate, covered in sweat, were those same three "Tight Connection! Tight Connection" adults. I guess one person's "tight connection" is another person's "no sweat connection."
I'm in the "I'd rather sit around the airport for an extra hour reading a book, than miss my flight by one minute" camp.A
Absolutely ‘got to be at the airport two hours before’ is one of the biggest urban myths in UK. I prefer early, and have friends in the ‘early’ and ‘last minute’ camp.
Yes me too! Annoyingly all my ‘last minute’ mates never seem to miss their flights. Back in the day the number of arguments we had re what time to leave by car to drive to Vegas to get to LAX!!!I'm in the "I'd rather sit around the airport for an extra hour reading a book, than miss my flight by one minute" camp.
Same. Even then I've had some close shaves. Flights can be late and that always seems to happen when you have a shortish connection ahead.I'm in the "I'd rather sit around the airport for an extra hour reading a book, than miss my flight by one minute" camp
I couldn’t agree more. I never schedule a connecting flight that doesn't have at least two hours time when flying overseas. If the connection is a larger airport I allow 3 hours. I once had a connecting flight at Heathrow that I almost missed, even though we landed on time and we had three hours to make the connecting flight.Same. Even then I've had some close shaves. Flights can be late and that always seems to happen when you have a shortish connection ahead.
I guess this is down to personal preference. I like plenty of time too, but each airline has minimum connecting times which they monitor. I am not sure what the threshold is for missed connections, but sure it would be <10%! ! Or 90% make it!I couldn’t agree more. I never schedule a connecting flight that doesn't have at least two hours time when flying overseas. If the connection is a larger airport I allow 3 hours. I once had a connecting flight at Heathrow that I almost missed, even though we landed on time and we had three hours to make the connecting flight.
Yes, the airline is obliged to put you on the next a v a i l a b l e flight if you miss your connection, but sometimes that is not until the following day or two, given how full other scheduled flights might be.
I'm exactly the same - in fact, I often secretly hope they'll overbook and ask for someone who is willing to be put up in a hotel for a night - I'd have my hand up!I'm more concerned with making my connections when I'm traveling to my destination. When I'm flying home I don't care as much.
I'm more concerned with making my connections when I'm traveling to my destination. When I'm flying home I don't care as much.
There are plenty of folks who book flights tactically, in the hope of reaping the offer, should offloads be required. Will work sometimes, though most overbooked flights clear!I'm exactly the same - in fact, I often secretly hope they'll overbook and ask for someone who is willing to be put up in a hotel for a night - I'd have my hand up!
Me too! A friend of mine had layover in Amsterdam - next flight was overbooked, they managed to get credit for another flight and to stay in Amsterdam for 48 hours when they volunteered to be rebooked.I'm exactly the same - in fact, I often secretly hope they'll overbook and ask for someone who is willing to be put up in a hotel for a night - I'd have my hand up!
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